To Glory and Sorrow We Fall
by Allison Frost
Summary: Have you ever questioned fate? I know I sure have. "Shouldn't you be helping Eren instead of-...?" He questioned without looking at me. I angrily slashed my blade across his chest while he hissed in pain. He looked at me with a confused expression while my eyes lowered into a cold glare. "Care to explain to me why I'm still here, Mr. Armored Titan?" ReinerxOCxLevi
1. A Cruel Past

**To Glory and Sorrow We Fall**

_an Attack on Titan fanfic_

_Pairings: ReinerxOCxLevi, BertholdtxAnnie, and ErenxMikasa_

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><p><span> Chapter One: A Cruel Past<span>

It was long ago when the Titans first attacked Wall Maria. It was a cruel, cruel day-that it was- when they came in. The Colossal Titan's head was able to peer over Wall Maria with his cold dark eyes looking down on us.

We were nothing but ants to them. We could run and hide all we wanted but they would find us. One by one, the Titans would kill us humans. They had no sympathy for their victims, as they already lost their sanity to their instinct to kill.

That day when the Titans entered... that was the day my mother and her squad, along with other squads, were sent to. They were not meant to go strictly after the Colossal Titan that day... no. Their main priority was to keep the Armored Titan back from damaging Wall Maria any further.

Being aware of how powerful and fast the Armored Titan was, they did their best to prevent any more damage. However, when loud bangs and heavy gray smoke filled the sky from that direction, I was no longer positive of my mother's safety.

Only being fourteen at the time, I ran in that direction; despite my friend, Eren, yelling for me to come back. There would be no time for me to come back. There wouldn't be and I was positive about that.

On instinct, I knew that my mother was in danger and that she was all I had left of my family. She was the only one that truly looked out for me and protected me from anything that wanted to harm me.

And now, I couldn't even pay her back.

"Mother!" I screamed as tears fell from my face. I began to come up to the area where the smoke had begun to clear. Dead bodies were thrown from different areas. Some on stop of houses. Some laying on the ground and even some of them losing half of their bodies laid; a bloody disaster and view.

It was a view I wanted to remove from my eyes. Nobody should have to see such a bloody massacre such as this. Nobody at all. And I'd never wish that upon anyone.

"Mother..." I began to cry harder as I recognized a certain dead body before me. Blood splattered on her pale cheeks and stained her Scouting Legion jacket. Her hands were full of cuts while bruises covered her face and neck. A deep fatal hole was pierced through her chest, ultimately resulting in a quick death.

I fell to my knees in front of her and rubbed her chestnut colored hair. Her once lively blue eyes were reduced to hazed over gray; no life present whatsoever. I took my fingers and closed her eye lids gently. "Mother..." I hugged her tightly, not minding the blood coming onto my own clothes.

When I looked up, a shiver of fear ran down my spine. The Armored Titan was only a few houses down, continuing to kill remaining Scouting Legion members. It was only a few short moments later until the Titan looked this way, his bright golden eyes focusing on me.

My blue eyes widened in fear as he began to walk over. His muscular arms swaying from side to side as he walked. For a few moments, I thought that my life was flashing before my very eyes. That this Titan, the one to kill my mother and her squad, would do the very same to me in just a moment.

When he had finally reached me, his body was only a few feet from me. His glaring gold eyes with no pupils continued to look at me, almost as if observing what I would do next. That or wondering why I didn't run yet.

Quite honestly, I wasn't able to run. My legs had been shaking from the intense fear I had and kept me from moving. I wondered what would have happened if I moved that day, though. Would he have already killed me by now?

"Go ahead!" I screamed, deathly terrified at what would happen. I held tightly onto my dead mother's body. Another round of tears made their way onto my face. "Kill me! Just as you have with my mother, the only one I had left!"

The Armored Titan continued to look but put his head down lower, as if really considering what I was saying. He went down on one knee while observing me as I was some specimen to him. Almost gently, he held out his hand while his other arm rested on his bent knee.

_What?_ I blinked away my tears for a moment. _What is he trying to do? Did he want me to reach out to him or something? Or was this a trick to get me killed?_

After a minute went by, I took one of my hands and attempted to reach out to him. But before I could even do so, a squealing sound of wire and a huge slash of a blade stopped me. A long bloody gash got onto the Armored Titan's face and only earned the culprit a small grunt from the attack.

Before I knew it, I felt a strong pair of arms grab my waist and hauling me, along with my dead mother, to safety. I took a look up at who was my rescuer and to my surprise, it was none other than my mother's good friend, Levi.

Levi looked down at me and to my mother with a slight grimace. "So... she's among the fallen, huh? That's a shame. She was a pretty good fighter, too."

I looked away and lowered my eyelids. "Of course you'd say that."

"But life is life. When we get back, we will properly bury her. Besides, we... I mean, I'LL make sure you become just as a good a solider she was, Amberleigh." Levi looked away from me and let the cool breeze flow through his dark short hair.

I didn't manage to say anything after his statement except just nod. I was already predetermined on becoming a Scouting Legion fighter just as my mother. When I came of age, I was planning on avenging my mother and anyone else that had sacrificed their lives to protect us.

But... you know?

The strange thing is that...

The Armored Titan never once looked away from me until I was no longer able to see him in the distance anymore. He never chased me or attacked me. For a Titan, I found that the tiniest bit weird but also intriguing.

He had an opening and yet... he never took it.

I wonder why that was?


	2. A Cold Introduction

**To Glory and Sorrow We Fall**

_an Attack on Titan fanfic_

_Pairings: ReinerxOCxLevi, BertholdtxAnnie, and ErenxMikasa_

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><p><span> Chapter Two: A Cold Introduction <span>

**_2 years later..._**

"Amberleigh, are you going to get up any time soon?" A short black haired girl questioned me as I remained on in bed. Blankets covered over my head as Mikasa tried to wake me up by opening the blinds.

I groaned loudly as I stuffed my head under the white pillow and with a muffled voice, I responded. "Yeah. Yeah. Five more minutes... five more..."

Mikasa rolled her gray eyes at my response. She clipped her belt onto her waist while throwing on her light brown jacket over her cream colored long sleeve shirt. Afterwards, she swung her dark red scarf around her neck.

"Not that I would care or anything but..." Mikasa, without looking at groggily me, stopped by the door to the hall. "We have examinations today by drill instructor Shadis today..."

My blue eyes quickly snapped open while pulling myself off of the bed. My traumatized eyes shifted over to Mikasa, preparing to leave and desperately called out to her. "Wait! THAT was TODAY?!"

She nods without looking at me.

"WHAT TIME DOES IT START!?"

Mikasa rolled her gray eyes again and began to open the door. When she was already halfway through the door, she glared at me with a cold smirk. "Oh... it starts in six minutes, actually. Good luck to you, then." And with that, she closed the door with as little sound as possible.

"AHHHHHH!" I screamed, pulling at my dark red hair. I began kicking at the heavy cotton blankets that felt like bags of sand to me. Their weight was keeping me in my spot for the longest time until I completely kicked them all off.

I have six minutes. Six FUCKING minutes before he starts the examination... I cursed to myself as I swiftly jumped out of the top part of the bunk bed. I landed with a thud to the wooden floor while a short surge of pain shot through me. "Damn... landed on that poorly..." I winced for a moment before rushing to my clothes.

To be quite honest, I was always one to sleep in. I would stay up for hours on end the previous night and then, pass out like a log. Eren and Mikasa, at one point, said that I was like some bear in hibernation. I could sleep for more than ten hours, easily, if you let me.

However, I didn't have the luxury of that today. Unknowingly forgetting, the new recruits had their examinations today with drill instructor, Keith Shadis. And like I told a CERTAIN someone to wake me up like an hour early, she never did and decided to wake me up just minutes before he started the exams.

"Shit, shit, shit!" I huffed while slamming the door on my way out. Considering I got ready in three minutes, I did pretty well, even with this description. One brown boot was on my right foot, the other wasn't even on all the way. My brown jacket was half way on with the other sleeve dangling as I ran.

My hair was a hot mess. I attempted to braid it up how I usually did but consider the position I was in today. I had three minutes left to get there while running. Running and braiding was definitely NOT a smart idea but, hey. A girl's got to do what she's got to do when running late.

So, I was content with the world's messy French Braid ever. Not perfect but if I were going to go slay some titans right now, that would be my least concern, right?

_Damn... so hungry, too._ I mentally cried to myself as I ran through the hall way of the girls' dorms. I knew half of the girls in here thought I was crazy running the hall. _Not the best impression to make while trying to make new friends..._

**XXX**

"Alright. Who will the next person be? That's see here..." Drill Instructor Shadis called out loudly and walked down the line. He observed each of the new recruits as he walked, carefully watching for his next victim.

I have no idea HOW but I made it with a minute to spare. Turns out Shadis was just starting to pick random people anyhow. He obviously didn't see me running in with a minute to spare and if he did... well... I'm sure I'd be the next victim.

As much as I hoped to stand by Eren and Mikasa, I figured that would be too noticeable walking in late. Plus, there was honestly no room in between them for me. However, I spotted the tiniest gap between a very tall yet muscular blonde and a stocky brunette. I decided to just fit in there, hoping the two men wouldn't mind.

They didn't, thank God. In fact, they just moved over slightly so I could fit in.

People often said that Shadis was a cruel and stern person. I shifted my blue eyes at the older man walking down my line next. A bead of sweat dripped down my forehead, worrying what would happen. _If he picked me, what do I say? What would I do? Ahh..._

"Why the long face, newbie?" the muscular blonde to my left questioned. I looked up slowly at him, noticing his gold eyes.

I stuttered uneasily. "U-Um. No reason..." I gulped and turned to face the ground. My sweaty hands had their own little war; one toppling the other nervously.

_Well that was very anti-social of me..._ I sweat dropped while still panicking.

I heard a pair of footsteps edging closer and closer to me. My sweating got heavier while my heart instantly dropped. The foot steps silenced themselves right in front of me, which only made me look up slowly.

My shaking blue eyes locked with the piercing gray ones of the drill instructor.

"How... about... YOU?" He decided with the coldest glare directed towards me. "What's your name, new recruit?"

"Uh..." I stuttered nervously. My fingers fumbling below me. "The name is Amberleigh Verania."

"And what are your plans afterwards?" He questioned curiously. His hands wrapped behind his back while glaring.

I gulped quietly and took a deep breath. Out of the corner of my eye, I could tell both Mikasa, Eren and Armin were curious what I would respond to this question. I looked back at the drill instructor and shook off my nervousness and fear for a moment.

My blue eyes regained their color and I was beginning to gain confidence. "I plan on going into the Scouting Legion. I want to avenge my fallen mother two years ago, sir. If that is reason enough to join, then I must be eligible with a strong will and determination to do so, sir!"

The blonde next to me, for some reason, shuttered. His golden eyes widened and looked directly at me after I brought up my mother. I was dumbfounded by his reaction but just shook it off casually.

_There shouldn't be any meaning to that bewildered stare, right?_ I wondered, feeling slightly annoyed by his constant staring suddenly.

"Ahh... so your key to success is determination and striving to avenge your mother. Well, I do applaud that courage you have, missy. However..." Shadis's glare grew scary looking. It was almost as if the stare was warning me for oncoming danger down the road. "That will not get you very far. Vengeance can be a very good thing or it can be a very scary and dangerous road... That is all."

He concluded while walking down the end of the line, looking for his next victim. While he did so, I remained in a trance, thinking heavily about his words. Vengeance... I know it is a scary thing, depending on how the individual uses it.

_I know that!_ I thought angrily, wanting to punch something eagerly to rid my frustration. _But I want to avenge my fallen mother. What is so wrong with that?! _

I shifted my blue eyes up at the glaring blonde again and sighed angrily.

"Look I know I look like a piece of shit right now. I'm well aware of it, actually. But I don't need you gawking at me every fucking second of the day, thank you very much!" I lashed out at him while adjusting my light brown jacket roughly.

Eren and Mikasa used to tell me that I've changed since that day two years ago. They say that I've been colder to people and more like... well... what people say nowadays, a total bitch. My appearance is even more, I guess you could say, less approachable now.

The blonde snorted arrogantly while crossing his arms. He seemed to snap out of his trance and came back to his senses. His golden eyes glared down at me while smirking.

"Sure thing, Little Red Riding Hood, that is if you actually had you're real hair color. I bet you that you aren't as cocky as you make yourself out to be, huh?"

I turned my head quickly at him, making sure my infuriated blue eyes locked with his golden ones. Just with his words, I could tell that this was going to be the typical cocky and self confident individual. The one that has everyone at his fingertips to play around with.

_Well, he's damn wrong if he thinks I'll be his next playing toy. _

I smirked while letting out the coldest laugh, even enough to make the tall brunette uneasy. I mimicked his actions and crossed my arms over my chest. "Ha. You're a real funny guy. I get that a lot, y'know. Nothing like corny jokes to start one's morning. But, I kid you not. This is my real hair color."

The blonde raised a brow and continued to smirk. "Oh really? You seem to be a very funny girl yourself. How about getting to know each other better, little red?"

"Hmm... I'll think about it." I responded while looking away from him. I watched as Shadis dismissed us all from our examinations for today. Everyone began heading back to the cabins for food, including the blonde, who's name I never got.

But before I let him go, I ran up quickly and slapped his back as hard as I could. "Oh and just for the record..." I smirked at him with the cockiest smile ever before heading back. "I'm going to be the biggest bitch you will ever see."

And I could have sworn that the blonde had smiled at that remark. But I couldn't be sure, now could I?


	3. New Friends

**To Glory and Sorrow We Fall**

_an Attack on Titan fanfic_

_Pairings: ReinerxOCxLevi, BertholdtxAnnie, and ErenxMikasa_

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><p><span> Chapter Three: New Friends<span>

"Phew. I finally got the chance to fix this." I let out a relieved sigh as I took my messy braid and switched it out to a high ponytail. My long red bangs were still out in front of me while my part was visible down the middle.

Now my hair was actually pretty decent for once. Instead of having that crazy bed head from this morning, it looked a lot better and neater without the extra fly-aways. The only down side of it was that it was already getting dark out, meaning the day was almost over.

_And here I thought my day was just beginning, too! Darn!_ I silently cursed to myself and hurriedly grabbed my tray of food. The dinner they served us was the usual gunk: one slice of chicken, mashed potatoes which Sasha was pretty excited about, sliced green beans, and a glass of ice cold water.

However you looked at it, I wasn't the crazy meat person like some of these recruits were. In fact, I was more of a vegetarian and often didn't eat any poultry or meat. Even like tonight, I just gave my slice over to Eren, who happily thanks me.

"Exhausted?" Eren raised a brown brow at me after he took a bite. He sat beside me with Mikasa on his left and Armin next to her. I took a seat on the edge, where there is just enough room for me to squeeze through.

I nearly slammed my plastic tray on the wooden table and sighed, rolling my blue eyes at him. I took my fork and stabbed one of the green beans before placing it in my mouth. "Yes. You don't understand the throbbing pain surging through my calves right now."

Eren gave me a puzzling stare before letting out a laugh. He took a sip of his water before speaking with his typical smirk. "Did you sleep in too long and forget about today?"

My blue eyes widened slightly at his remark and I puffed my cheeks. Another round of stabbing occured to my poor green beans. This time, it was more aggressive than my first time. "Yes but only because SOMEBODY didn't wake me up like I ASKED them to."

Mikasa exchanged a cold glance at me and only responded with a "Tch" before returning to her meal. Although, she was laughing inside at my reaction. She found it hilarious this morning.

"But, whatever. We graduate soon, right?" I set aside my anger and took a sip of my water.

Eren nodded but his face instantly became serious. A long grimace appeared at his lips as he looked at me. His green eyes grew curious as well as concerned about something. "Hey, Amber. About today... were you really serious about joining the Scouting Legion?"

"Mhm." I responded with certainty, eagerly hoping he wouldn't want any more detail than a simple response. But I should know by now that Eren doesn't just accept a simple answer. There had to be a specific reason and he would soon figure it out.

"But... you realize how dangerous it is, right? I mean... I want to join it too but I have my reasons to do so, as you understand." Eren explained while putting down his silverware as well. His green eyes never left their spot from me. "Amber, you never told us what happened that day."

I cringed as my whole body twitched. _Shit. He asked it. About IT. Damn it all._ I mentally cursed myself yet again while balling my hands into fists. "There's nothing to talk about, Eren. You obviously heard me say my mother is dead. That much is true and that's all there is to know." I lied at the last part of my response nervously.

"Amber... there's more isn't there." Eren's saddened voice ended up attracting more people, including Mikasa and Armin. Before I knew it, there were more and more people circling around our table.

All of their bewildered stares looked at me with curiousity. They haven't heard much about me and now that I was speaking a lot more with Eren, they were at their wits end. Curiosity ate them alive about my background story but I wasn't willing to budge. Not yet.

"No there isn't! I just... I just... not right now, okay?" I angrily shouted while quickly jumping out of my seat. By my sudden action and risen voice, even the far table in the corner glared with curiosity why I suddenly got insecure.

The far table was composed of only three individuals, in which two I remember standing beside in examinations by Shadis. The stocky brunette was sitting on the right side of a small blonde girl while the muscular blonde sat on the other side. They shifted their eyes over to me from the sudden action while the blonde raised a brow and the girl only glared with her icy blue eyes.

"Ha! Join the Scouting Legion, Jaeger?" a bombastic voice pierced through the awkward silence in the dining hall. Both Eren and I looked over to find the owner of the voice and immediately, we figured out it had belonged to Jean Kirstein.

Jean smirked as he brushed at his light brown hair. His chocolate colored eyes glared mockingly at Eren. He held out his hand while speaking. "You see. I would rather not be suicidal and be safe. Therefore, I'd rather join the Military Police and the best part? I can avoid the confrontation of Titans unlike you two."

Eren gritted his teeth at Jean's comment while bolting out of his seat. "Who says anything about being suicidal?! I want to avenge what I've lost and vowed to kill all Titans! And meanwhile, you will just be a coward acting like everything is perfectly fine, in which case it ISN'T!"

Jean narrowed his brown eyes at Eren and pushed his seat as he got up. He confronted the hot headed Eren while placing a hand on his shirt. "Me? A coward? I don't think so, Jaeger! I'd rather not lose my life so easily like you might be willing to do so! I would rather live than fucking die by a-...!"

I lowered my blue eyes at him and glared with an icy stare. "Heh. Suicidal minds we have, huh? We truly must be crazy choosing to go fight Titans head on. But you know what that's called? Fucking bravery and determination. I wish we could all be like you; careless and have a luxurious life. But that would be too easy, wouldn't it? Somebody's got to suffer first. And feel the pain of losing someone before they understand, right?"

I slapped his hand from Eren's chest and hissed lowly. "You will never understand anything of what it feels like to lose someone, prick!" And with that, I side swept his legs with my foot, causing him to fall back, crash landing onto the wooden floor.

Without thinking about my action, I let Eren have a go at Jean. The two continued to bicker with one another as I walked over to my seat. Some words Jean kept using over and over was "bitch this" and "bitch that," which was his way of referring to me. Meanwhile, Eren had thrown those words back at him, causing the two to shout louder.

"God. I hate people like him." I sighed while turning my head from them to the far table. My blue eyes noticed that the three went back to their normal conversation except for a few stares in return from the blonde boy.

_Do I walk over there and introduce myself? Or will I get the cold shoulder treatment?_ I wondered to myself, debating if it was worth it. I've already talked to blondie over there so he would be slightly easier to start a conversation with. The brunette looks nervous all the time so he wouldn't be a major problem.

The only one I felt unsure about was that girl. The one with the icy eyes.

She seemed to be the scarier one out of the trio and the less approachable at that. Her face always looking like a grimace made hard to tell if she was happy or not. Her blond hair tied up into a bun while her bangs fell down to her face, much like mine. Her pale skin matching well with her hair and blue eyes.

She was beautiful. Yup. But her attitude and personality... that was her downfall.

_Walk or no walk?_ I questioned myself again and noticed that my eyes had locked with the blonde boy yet again. I pursed my lips while looking away for a moment. _Damn. He probably thinks I'm so stalker now. Ugh... _

"Are you just going to keep staring or come over, little red?" He noticed. Shit!

With a sharp intake of air, I spun on my heel and walked over to their table. My hands balled up into fists and began to sweat nervously as soon as the girl glared up at me. Her hand that was on her glass stopped halfway and glared coldly at me. The brunette looked at me as well but with a more nervous and gentle stare.

"Um. So. My name is Amberleigh Verania. What are your names?" I awkwardly smiled while releasing my hands from their balled form. This is totally awkward!

The first to speak, like usual, was the blonde. "Reiner Braun. That nervous wreck over there is Bertholdt Hoover and the cold shortie here is Annie Leonhardt. Beware. She's evil to her victims."

_**SLAP! **_

"Damn it, Annie!" Reiner cursed while rubbing his now reddening cheek.

Annie only huffed at his response. She picked up her water again and took a few sips.

I placed a hand on my mouth and laughed quietly at both of their reactions. Reiner obviously took notice and laughed loudly along with me while Annie only rolled her eyes. Bertholdt, the awkward brunette, only managed a small laugh along with us.

Perhaps making new friends wasn't as hard as I thought. I smiled and found myself sitting next to Reiner while joking around with Annie and Bertholdt with occasional laughs. Besides, it didn't hurt to have some people to rely on down the road.

Well, I'll just take baby steps and so far...

I finally learned his name.

**_Reiner._**


	4. Sparing Pains

**To Glory and Sorrow We Fall**

_an Attack on Titan fanfic_

_Pairings: ReinerxOCxLevi, BertholdtxAnnie, and ErenxMikasa_

**_***MAJOR SWEARING IN THIS CHAPTER! JUST A HEADS UP!***_**

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><p><span> Chapter Four: Sparing Pains<span>

"Hey, M-... Oh..." I called out to Mikasa but stopped halfway on the sparing ground. She had already claimed Armin as her sparing partner for today. "Nevermind then." I rolled my blue eyes as I walked around the sparing practice ground to find a partner.

My blue eyes locked onto Eren while determination claimed my face. I walked briskly over to him, hoping I'd claim him as my partner before anyone else._ I can't get stuck with Jean again. I can't get stuck with Jean again. I repetitively told myself as I walked quicker. Anyone but Jean and Eren would be close enough!_

"EREN! HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO-..." I had finally reached my victim with a confident smirk. I put my hands on my hips while asking if he wanted to be my sparing partner. _I totally got th-... WHAT?!_ I cockily told myself but stopped as Annie pushed me aside and began sparing with Eren.

_Did she just... did she... did she SERIOUSLY just push ME?! AND JUST WHEN I THOUGHT WE WERE BECOMING FRIENDLY TO ONE ANOTHER!_

"GOD DAMN IT, ANNIE! I WANTED TO CLAIM EREN FOR TODAY!" I whined angrily, stomping my feet in frustration while pointing at the dumbfounded Eren. I held up my fingers and counted them individually to prove my point. "I've fought Mr. Donkey Face over there FIVE FUCKING DAYS STRAIGHT! I practically KNOW his strategy by now and he's so damn annoying! I tried to claim Mikasa but she's with Armin. And now... YOU FUCKING TOOK EREN!"

Jean snorted angrily at me, who was in listening range. He crossed his arms while shouting back. "Huh. Donkey face... that one is new. Don't worry. I, myself, find you just as annoying, shortie. You don't have to worry about it this time. I got Marco for today."

"Yeah. Well... GOOD FOR YOU!" I sarcastically responded and went back to Annie.

Annie glared at me with her icy blue eyes again. Her face looked uninterested in my constant fussing. She flipped back a small strand of blonde hair before speaking. "If you have such a fit about not sparing with someone new, why don't you take on Reiner?"

My blue eyes widened as I pursed my lips. I looked over at the muscular blonde sparing with Bertholdt and bit my lip. With muscles at every part of his body and his height, I'd be killed within moments. He may not be fast, which would be the only thing rooting for me, but he has the strength and power from his damn muscles.

_I mean. I didn't have anything against him or anything. His muscles were impressive, no lie. And pretty awesome and sexy looking... _

_Uh... ANYWAYS!_ I shook my head while covering my slight blushing face.

Then, there's me. A slender sixteen year old with barely any curves. I wasn't very tall whatsoever and muscles weren't something my body apparently wanted. I wasn't overweight or anything. In fact, I was slightly underweight for my age but I was pretty weak when it came to the competition of strength.

_With no muscles or strength, how in the hell can I fight a damn titan? Let alone... take on the flipping Armored Titan?!_ I shouted inside my head while having a break down.

"ANNIE! You realize that he could wipe me out with just one flipping punch, right?" I took my hand off of my face and glared daggers at her. "I'll DIE! Don't you understand?!"

Annie rolled her blue eyes and turned in Reiner's direction. "Reiner, c'mere!" She hollered at him to get his attention. Once she did, she motioned her hand over to her and I.

"NO, ANNIE!" I screamed, pulling at my braid. I was pretty sure if I pulled any harder, my hair would be torn from my scalp and come out like a huge clump with one swift tug.

Both Bertholdt and Reiner came walking over to the group. Reiner first looked at Annie and then at the frantic red head ripping her hair out. He raised a blonde brow at my reaction and went back to Annie's face.

"What's up?" he questioned, wondering if he should be concerned about my reaction.

"NOTHING!" I interjected before Annie could say a word. I jumped over to Annie and placed two of my hands around her mouth, keeping her quiet. If Reiner hears what Annie says about sparring, I will forever be a goner! I can't let it happen!

And the worst part...

HE WOULD AGREE TO IT, TOO!

Reiner gave both of us a puzzling stare while Eren laughed in the background. He obviously knew what was going on and why I was reacting how I was. He must have known that I could never take on a strong beast like Reiner but the tatics I used to avoid the topic...

Eren had to admit. They were funny as hell and he couldn't stop laughing at me.

Annie turned her head slightly to reveal the darkest stare directed towards me. It sent a cold shiver down my spine while I suddenly grew nervous. For a few moments, I could've sworn my life had flashed before my very eyes.

"Hands. **OFF**." Annie's voice was as sharp as a knife when she spoke. I slowly backed off, letting my hands come off shakingly from her mouth. When I let out a small apology to her, she simply shrugged me off while tucking a small strand behind her ear. "Anyways, Reiner. Amberleigh is in need of a sparring partner. Go and practice with her."

Reiner looked over at the panicking me and boomed out with laughter as did Bertholdt. He continued to laugh as he approached me, nearly towering over me with an extra foot. "Is that why you were so worked up? I suppose we could spar. Gives us both a chance to see how well we fight, don't you think?"

"B-but you're like twice the size of me and plus, you're all damn muscle! I'll die within a second of our sparring match! That's why I wanted to fight Eren because he's equal to me with strength and not too overbearing." I explained to him, feeling uneasy by his height towering of me.  
>Eren puffed his cheeks at me with an angry glare. "Who's overbearing?"<p>

I rolled my blue eyes and sighed. I didn't have time to reply to that comment. "Anyways, I'll just find some random person to spar with. Thanks for your willingness but I'll kindly re-...HEY!"

I was about to walk away until a pair of strong arms lifted me off the ground. When I turned around slightly to see the culprit, I noticed that Reiner had thrown me across his right shoulder and hauled me away from Annie, Bertholdt, and Eren.

He ended up taking me to a farther area in the sparing ground where the three were cast off into the distance. In other words, this meant that I was stuck with this muscular giant for a whole hour or at least until sparing was finished.

Reiner, once we had a good distance from them, set me back onto my feet. A wide smirk appeared across his lips as he tossed a wooden knife in his hand. "Sorry. Don't take no for an answer, especially when I kindly accepted to spar with you. Now you have no choice and no one to run to."

I crossed my arms in front of him while grimacing. "Fuck you, Reiner." I hissed with a venomous tone. He was right though. I was stranded out in the boondocks of the sparing area. My friends were out of reach and if I so much as ran, I know Reiner would come after me.

I had no escape and now, I would have to face my problems head on.

Reiner laughed again at my swearing. He seemed to get a kick out of it actually. "Ha. I'm really digging your swearing, little red! You might be an interesting friend to have around, you know?"

"Oh shut up! And my name isn't little red. It's damn Amberleigh, got it?"

The muscular blonde laughed yet again while running a hand through his short blonde hair. "Alright, alright. You seem to be offended by that nickname, huh? Because you know... your short and have red hair. Get it?"

I rolled my eyes at his pathetic joke and pushed back one of my bangs. " . Very funny but I'll have you know I'm 5' 7'' and that isn't a bad height for a girl, y'know! You are just freakishly tall, although Bertholdt is even taller than you. But whatever."

My hands were brought down to my sides with the palms facing him. My fingers were curled inwards as I took a step out with my right foot. The left remained in the back with it slightly angled inward to give me some balance. **(A/N: IMPORTANT INFO TO REMEMBER LATER ON!)**

Determination and regret washed over my face as I grimaced. I was trying to mentally, and physically, prepare myself for an excruciating sparring match with this giant. There was always a way to take down every type of opponent and I knew that well.

However, Reiner was a different one. I had no idea how he fought, what techniques he used, and how fast he is with his reflexes. Without a doubt, I had a feeling this would be a difficult match, even with it just being practice.

"Are we sparring or not?" I finally had the courage to ask. I'm seriously going to die here.  
>Reiner looked at me with a smug smirk. He adjusted his fighting stance with his legs spread out in the forming of running. One foot was out in front while the other was stretched behind him. His arms mimicked his legs but they were kept at a shorter distance.<p>

My eyes widened at his stance. It was oddly familiar from something. Whether it was a good familiar or bad, I couldn't be sure about that much. All I knew is that I have SEEN this position somewhere, even if Reiner wasn't the exact person to use it.

I know I saw it before. Knowing who exactly used it, that was a different story. I might never know and I had no idea why I would remember such a thing. But, regardless, I felt a cold shiver trail down my spine just thinking about this.

"I thought we weren't sparring, hmm?"

I snapped out of my daze quickly and rolled my eyes._ His cockiness though... I seriously want to kick him in the worst place possibly but that might be too harsh. Or would it?_ I sadistically questioned myself, really wondering if I should. _And then claim it as an accident?_

_One kick. Just one kick. And I know EXACTLY where that will go._

"I've changed my mind. So, I just have to grab that wooden knife from you and I win?" I kept my blue eyes locked onto the knife in his right hand.

"Yup. That is..." a glint shined in his golden eyes. "If you can get it from me." He was full of confidence to accept my challenge. He thought that I would be no problem taking down. They may be true but let's just say...

He wasn't expecting my speed at all.

Before he realized it, was already up in front of him in a matter of seconds. "What the h-... ARGH!" I smirked as I side swept his feet, hoping he would crash land onto the ground. Almost as if I predicted right, he did collapse and fall on his back.

But I'd be damned if I thought he'd just let me grab the knife. Or at least... I should have thought about that BEFORE diving in to grab it. I reached out to get a hold of the wooden knife. My fingers edged closer to the knife, almost sealing my victory until I felt a strong hand push me forward and sent me into the ground.

My face had been slammed into dirt while a few scrapes were visible on my cheeks and forehead. I angrily pushed myself up, ignoring the throbbing pain I felt through my arms and legs at the impact. I should have expected this.

There would be no easy win like that. There would be pain in some form before I could win something like that in a matter of seconds. And the way Reiner looked at me before we fought, I could tell he wasn't going to go easy on me whatsoever.

That much was clear.

"What? Already giving up, shortie?" Reiner taunted while getting up and twirling the wooden knife in his hand. The same smug looking smirk from before appeared on his lips again.

I returned his smirk after getting up and wiping up the dirt from my cheek. "Ha. Dream on, cocky asshole. I'm not going to give up so easily here."

Without much more to say, I charged at him full force. My hands out in front of me as if guiding me in the right direction. Quickly taking my leg, I attempted to trick him out by side swiping him yet again.

While he was busy trying to dodge that, I jumped up and nailed him in the side. There was a loud grunt released from Reiner who looked at me in surprise. As if returning the favor, he held his injured side and used his free hand to slam it into my side as well.

"R-Reiner, you... ass!" I felt the wind knocked out of me before hitting the ground. I held my side in pain while I cringed at the sudden throbbing. _I knew he was going to be a pain to spar with and he had the muscles but GOD DAMN! IT'S LIKE HE WAS STABBING ME WITH HIS DAMN FIST! HOLY FLIPPING SHIT! _

Reiner dropped the wooden knife to the ground while holding his side as well. We both felt the after math of both of our hits. I went full blown on my kick to his side, so it wasn't too surprising that a guy with his build was hunched over in pain. But I was in the same amount of pain. He must have put as much firepower in that hit, knowing it would make me drop like a fly.

It was a good five minutes until we both recovered. The pain was beginning to dull along with the uncomfortable throbbing sensation. Our ragged breathing began to slow as well, returning to its normal speed.

"Oh my God..." I let out a laugh while continuing to lay on the ground. My arm draped over my eyes to protect them from the bright sun. "Reiner, did you plan to kill me in one shot or something?"

Reiner joined in on my laughing. "Haha! I don't even know! But I think you were so pissed with me, you went all out, didn't ya?" he laughed again while hauling me up after I took my arm off of my eyes.

"Just... wow. You're actually pretty good with knocking the wind out of people." I joked while wiping off some sweat. I pulled out my black ponytail holder and fixed my hair into a messy ponytail instead.

While I was doing so, Reiner looked at me from behind. He seemed to gaze at me for the longest time. I didn't really think much of it since I kind of understood. I looked horrible: scrapes with dirt clung to my sweaty face, my hair kept falling out of the ponytail, and sweat stained my brown jacket.

"ALRIGHT, RECRUITS! SPARING IS OVER FOR TODAY! HOWEVER, WE WILL HAVE OUR FINAL TEST ON HOW WELL YOU ARE WITH THE 3D MANEUVERING GEAR AFTER LUNCH! YOU HAVE EXACTLY ONE HOUR AND, MEET BACK HERE!" Drill instructor Shadis' voice boomed over the fighting recruits.

"Well... shit. I forgot about that." I groaned while beginning to walk over to the dining hall with Reiner right beside me. With it like this, the height difference was extremely significant and noticeable.

Reiner laughed yet again while rubbing my messy hair. "Nah. You'll do well. The key to success they say is balance. You may not have the muscles but you do have the speed and balance to master the gear, Amber."

I blushed slightly at him saying my name for the first time. Well... kind of. He only said half of it but it was a start. If that was as much as he would say, I will gladly take that over "little red" any day.

With a small smile, I gently punched him in the arm. "You know. I'm glad we spared with each other, Reiner. Even though I was totally against it, I'm actually happy we did."

Reiner raised a brow at my sudden remark and crossed his arms. "Oh? And why is that?" he questioned, as if genuinely curious by my answer. She hated the idea of sparing with me and now, she was happy? This girl sure is a strange one... he thought to himself.

"Well... I've always promised myself that I would avenge my mother." I explained as we approached the doors to the dining hall. We were the only ones left out here, as everyone already headed inside. "At first, I was against fighting you but then I realized your built was identical to the Armored Titan's..."

At my last few words, I could see Reiner's whole body cringe nervously. His gold eyes widened like how they did yesterday during examinations.

"And... uh..." I wondered if I should continue. But the way Reiner was acting, I was actually pretty worried. For some reason, talking about the Armored Titan was making him very uneasy. So, I just decided to end it there while gently slapping his back.

"It's not like you're the Armored Titan, Reiner! Ha. Wouldn't that be a shocker?" I laughed loudly, hoping he would loosen up and relieve his sudden tension. However, he only responded with a nervous laugh as he held the door open for me.

"Heh. That would be a shocker, wouldn't it?" was all he said with the shakiest voice ever.


	5. Bizarre Vision

**To Glory and Sorrow We Fall**

_an Attack on Titan fanfic_

_Pairings: ReinerxOCxLevi, BertholdtxAnnie, and ErenxMikasa_

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><p><span>Chapter Five: Bizarre Vision<span>

"Two more minutes, Amberleigh! You got this!"

Shortly after Bertholdt did his test with the 3D maneuver gear, it was finally my turn. I had made sure to study how well Bertholdt held on for the designated five minutes, since I heard he was the strongest with this ability. I watched how balanced he remained and calm as he kept every inch of muscle steady.

He wobbled slightly here and there but overall, he did extremely well.

Now, I was up in my five minute test. I already lasted the three out of five minutes without much panic. But as soon as I went onto the last two minutes, I was slowly deteriorating and beginning to wobble a little bit more.

I gritted my teeth as I felt myself shaking. My weak muscles were barely hanging onto the last few minutes. Sweat trickled down my forehead and dripped to the ground. While some of it began to seep through my light brown jacket, making it slightly noticeable to the people in the front.

The crowd of new recruits had several different looks going on. Some gawked in amazement at how long I lasted. Some looked at me with nervous stares, either worried about me falling or they suddenly realized they would be next in line.

Then, you had my friends looking at me. Eren gave me a determined face while cheering for me. Armin did the same with occasional small claps in the background. Mikasa just gave me her typical blank stare, although I knew she was silently rooting for me to do well.

Trying to not make it obvious, I took a small glimpse over to the trio on the other side. Bertholdt watched carefully, seeing if I would slip up somehow, but regardless, he gave me a tiny smile. He knew that within the last minute, I would pass no matter what.

Annie just crossed her arms and gave her typical icy stare. She seemed uninterested in the whole test overall, let alone having to watch me for five minutes. I bet she was secretly hoping I'd somehow screw up and come crashing down.

_Damn evil eyes..._ I hissed while remaining focused. _So much for being friends!_

I didn't even bother to look at Reiner this time. Why? Well... I already had the feeling he was staring at me like usual. I knew for a fact that he was rooting for me, no doubt. He was the one who told me I'd do fine and gave me advice, after all.

**xxx**

_"NO! NO! NOO! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO HER!" a sudden voice screamed inside my head. A bright flash made me go blind for a couple of seconds. As my vision failed for that time, a slightly taller woman cuddled around a young girl about the age of five._

_The woman had medium cut brown hair with dull blue eyes. It was almost as if her energy had drained from her face while protecting the young girl. Her arms draped around the little one protectively while she continued to scream, tears began to release from her eyes._

_"There must be another way to keep her alive than this! Can't you understand? She will become an enemy to mankind!" she pleaded to the tall brunette man. "She will die!"_

_His glasses glinted for a second until they revealed his eyes. Tears seemed to nip at his face as well. However, he refused to let them fall. His fingers wrapped around the metal syringe while his free hand was kept out. "Claire... at least with this, she can live and protect herself. She will have strength to do so. She will not be alone, I promise you. Please. Do you want her to live?"_

_The mother looked at him with a desperate glare while she hugged her child tighter. "I do." She cried. "I do. I do..."_

_Before she could say the man's name, the memory fell apart._

**xxx**

A sudden flash of light snapped me back into reality. My eyes widened to notice that I somehow fell over onto the cold ground. People shouted in shock and worry as I fell onto the ground after being taken off the gear. Their voices were muffled while my vision still remained slightly blurred, unable to make out who was calling my name.

My shaking hands made their way up to my face. "The hell was that?" I blinked several times while slowly bringing myself up from the ground. My hands still shook uncontrollably when I finally stood on my feet again.

"Hey, Amber! You alright?" Eren's voice called out, making me turn my head to see him running up to me. Concerned turquoise eyes observed me, wondering why I had fallen so suddenly after the five minute test. He put a hand on my shoulder. "What happened to you? You just collapsed after being off of the gear."

I blinked at his question, as if still out of it. "Uh... I have no idea, honestly. Kind of just blacked out for a second there..." I can't tell him about that bizarre dream. He'd want me to go into detail and, really, I don't even know what was going on.

There was a mother protecting her child from a man with a syringe. She kept begging him not to hurt the young girl but she told the man she wanted to protect her. _So... did he actually inject the girl? And if so, what exactly WAS it that he injected her with?_

_But it's kind of bizarre because that young girl looked so much like me. She had the red hair I had and she had it the same way I did back as a kid; two small braids on both sides. She had my pale skin color with my light blue eyes._

_And that woman... she looked like my mother, too. The brown hair. The blue eyes. They were all the same as hers. How weird..._

"Recruit Verania, you have passed your test. However, are you feeling alright?" Drill instructor Shadis unusually asked me in a calm tone. He never acted like this or if he did, there would be some sort of punishment in the end.

I turned to face him while looking at his silver eyes. "Ah. I'm perfectly fine, sir. It must have been from exhaustion and balancing on that 3D maneuver gear. I must have overexerted myself somehow and it must have contributed to a sudden black out, sir."

_I don't even know that for a fact but alright..._ I sweat dropped after I responded.

Drill instructor Shadis raised a gray brow at my response. He knew with all of his new recruits, such things like this happened very rarely. In his past years, he had only two other teenagers fall temporarily from overexertion but they never recovered as quickly as I did. He was a little suspicious by this but he quickly shook it off and called out for his next victim. "After that scene, we will continue on. Next up is Recruit ARMIN!"

As Armin began to nervously fidget at his name, he sluggishly walked over to Shadis. His fingers trembling and fumbling with one another as Shadis had strapped him in for the long five minutes.

Once the time started for him, I claimed my spot in the crowd and wiped off the remaining sweat from my face. My body still continued to shake nervously at the bizarre vision, in which I dug my nails into my arm and swore under my breath.

_So bizarre and enough to make my skin crawl... Damn._ I swore again and dug my nails into my arm with more pressure. I'd be surprised if I didn't walk away with blood after this since I pressed so hard into my skin.

"D-doing okay there?" The first one to speak out to me wasn't who I thought it was. Normally, I would suspect either Eren or Reiner, due to how they are suddenly attaching themselves to me. But, surprisingly, it wasn't either of them.

The person was actually Bertholdt, who made his way over to me. The tall yet gentle giant stood next to me with his brown eyes looking down at me with concern. "T-that was some fall you had."

"Yeah. I'm okay now. It was a little bizarre but I snapped out of it." I responded, slowly releasing my nails from my scratched arm. My nerves seemed to have settle down a little bit. The shaking wasn't as noticeable anymore.

_I sure hope that this won't happen again..._

"Any particular reason why you fell?" Bertholdt asked curiously in a quiet voice.

I glanced up at the giant and back down. A grimace appeared at my face while my red bangs covered my eyes. "A vision. And it wasn't the prettiest, either. But I have no idea what was going on and that is what is making me scared. There was a syringe and a little girl. That's all I could seem to remember."

When I took another look at Bertholdt, I could have sworn his brown eyes widened. I didn't know if that was a good sign or not because he rarely reacted to anything. By that reaction, I began to grow curious of what he was thinking.

Before I could question him, a pair of strong arms wrapped onto both Bertholdt and I's shoulders. "What's going on here, hmm? Getting friendly with one another and not inviting me? How cruel!"

Bertholdt only stuttered like a bumbling idiot with a slight tinge of pink on his cheeks. You would think that being so tall, he would actually seem menacing and cruel himself. But, I guess height doesn't prove anything as I've already encountered someone even more evil with a shorter height.

I huffed at the voice and crossed my arms. My grimace I initially had morphed to annoyance from somebody's arrival. "Fuck off, Reiner. You're just jealous that Bertholdt and I have a wonderful friendship and you will never be a part of it."

"Hurtful words there, Amber. And here I thought we'd be friends by now!" Reiner chuckled as he ruffled my red hair, which only added to my annoyance. However, I didn't mind it just as once. It was almost as if he was trying to drive away the fear I had of that flash back.

_Even though he didn't exactly know about the reason..._

"With an attitude like that, you still wonder why Amber despises you..." Annie sighed while crossing her arms, joining into the group. She glared at Reiner with her typical icy stare, which sent chills down Reiner's spine.

"Well thanks for that positivism, Annie!" he barked back at her angrily with a pout; releasing his hand from my head. He turned back to face me with a smirk. "Well.. graduation tomorrow, huh? You set on what you want to join?"

I raised a brow at his question. I thought they already knew this... unless his attention span isn't as great as I had hoped. "I've decided for years upon years now. I want to be a part of the Scouting Legion and I know that someone there is going to be thrilled to see me finally. Well... I think so...?"

That person you may ask?

He is quite a shortie but he is known to be humanity's strongest solider. Like I said before, height never means anything. Bertholdt is a tall giant but he was a shy boy with a kind and big heart. This man is way shorter than Bertholdt but he has the coldest personalities known to demand and is also the most menacing of them all.

And that happens to be my mother's old friend, Levi.

**Levi Ackerman.**


	6. I wonder

**To Glory and Sorrow We Fall**

_an Attack on Titan fanfic_

_Pairings: ReinerxOCxLevi (main), BertholdtxAnnie (slight), and ErenxMikasa_

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><p><span>Chapter 6: I wonder<span>

**(No POV) (FLASHBACK)**

_One year ago...  
><em>

_"Oh my God..." a solider had cried out while he and his other squad members witnessed the horror. A tall 15m Titan stood off into the distance, finishing what business it had in that part of the town. Screams and cries were bone chilling, as they were even heard from the distance._

_A young girl by the name of Petra had stood beside the horrified solider with her blades drawn. She was as equally scared as he was but did her best not to show it. Things were looking good for them until this next Titan came up out of no where._

_By the looks of it, it wasn't your average one, either. It could clearly be made out that the Titan was indeed a female. She had long messy auburn colored hair and, occasionally when she turned her head, bright menacing blue eyes could be seen._

_Her overall appearance had the look of a familiar Titan a year back. Her skin had a charcoal gray color with lighter shades evenly spread out on her body. Her eyes had no pupils in them; they were just one solid blue color. Her messy bangs hid most of her eyes, which made her look even more scarier and demonic looking. Her mouth seemed to be locked shut until she decided to open her jaw._

_"I've never seen this one before. And... for it to suddenly make an appearance now..." Petra finally spoke with uncertainty and nervousness in her voice. She glanced over to her close friend, Levi, and gave him a worried stare._

_Levi looked at her with a gray eyes and back at the massacring Titan in the distance. "I have no idea, honestly. However, if that thing can keep quiet for so long, something is telling me that it will be hard to find and kill this one. We either attack now or let it go into hiding for another few years." He explained while drawing his blades._

_"Do you think... maybe... she could be affiliated with those other two?" She questioned while her and the rest of the squad followed Levi through their 3D maneuver gear. Their hair blowing at their faces from the sudden wind they made._

_Levi, without looking at her, dully responded. "With the way this Titan looks and how it acts, I wouldn't be surprised by that thought. Her, along her companions, have the same thing that regular Titans don't: intelligence. Think about it. Why would she wait so long to finally show herself? Lone wolf or not, I think she might be tied to them, regardless."_

_As soon as the squad aimed closer, the Titan froze instantly. Her eyes shifting left to right slowly as she observed her surroundings. She knew that she was being ambushed by several Scouting Legion fighters but she wasn't going to let them have her so quickly._

_Without warning, the 15m Titan swung her right arm out at the incoming soldiers. The two that went in for the hit quickly backed away on their gear and barely avoided the Titan's attack. Another swarm of fighters dove in front of her as a distraction while Levi and Petra stood behind; preparing for a kill._

_Having a sense of what was going on, the girl Titan put a hand on her nape to prevent any damage there. Her free arm swung out at the distracting soldiers, knocking some to the ground and others crashing into the crumbled houses._

_"Ah...!" Petra shifted her eyes over at her half dead squad. In just one blow, the Titan was able to knock out four of their squad in a matter of seconds. When she brought her eyes back over, she found them locked with the Titan's demonic ones._

_"H-How did she get so close?!" Petra exclaimed, frantically pulling back just in the nick of time. If she had hesitated any sooner, she would have been the next one slammed against an abandoned house._

_With Petra being petrified for a moment, the Titan took this as an opportunity to flee. She knew her limits in the shape she was already in. Plus, she was well aware of the solider that would soon be hot on her tracks._

_The Titan began to run quickly, which seemed to be the benefit for her. She may have not been full of strength like some Titans were but she did have one thing rooting for her. And that was her speed by far._

_However, she wasn't fast enough._

_"Going somewhere?" A vicious hiss was heard behind her as well loud squeals of wire. She slowly turned her head with her bangs bouncing up and down from her face. Her blue eyes widened as Levi came in and pretended to aim at her nape._

_She quickly covered the nape of her neck, thinking he was going for that. However, he tricked her and landed himself a harsh blow at her eyes; making her temporarily blind. She instantly went crashing down with a loud eerie scream at the impact._

_"You think that hurt?!" he hissed angrily while slashing deep cuts into her back, arms, and legs. Blood began to seep from the deep wounds he inflicted upon her. He continued to slash at her, knowing that her regeneration process would be significantly slower. "Wait till I get to that damn nape of your neck!" he yelled viciously while landing another blow onto the hand holding her nape protectively._

_The Titan screamed again, knowing easily that her hand wouldn't be able to withstand much more. If she had let her hand fall now, she would have been a goner. With this, she mustered up as much strength as she could and swung her arm at him, even though she was still blind from his previous attack._

_Whether that hit him or not, she didn't care. It was just enough for her to make her escape.  
>And with that, she vanished in a dark smoke just before Levi was about to take the finishing blow to her nape.<em>

_"S-..." Petra questioned after a few minutes went by. She jumped over to Levi's side, seeing the disappointment and frustration claiming his face. "She escaped just like that? B-But... how? I thought you had her there, too."_

_Levi's eyes lowered down to a cold glare; his eyes focusing on where the girl Titan had originally been. He clutched his blades tighter at his side while speaking, "No. She knew I very well could have taken her out. She knew her strengths well and with out a doubt, she went into hiding temporarily. Somewhere where we can't get to her and with those cuts and attacks, looks like we won't be seeing her for a while."_

_He looked over at Petra with a bewildered stare, which was quite unusual for him. "Petra, tell me something. How many titans do you see on a daily basis with that type of hair color?"_

_Petra gave him a confused stare for a moment. She had no idea why he was asking such a question but instead of asking, she simply responded, "I don't believe I've encountered titans like that, Levi. Perhaps once or twice but it's very rare."_

_Levi let out a sigh, looking back over at where the Titan was. "Hmm... is that so?"_

_I wonder... he thought to himself silently. Could it have been?_

_No. It couldn't have been. But then again... the Titan seemed to know she was outmatched..._


	7. Fall

**To Glory and Sorrow We Fall**

_an Attack on Titan fanfic_

_by AllisonRenee1031_

_Pairings: ReinerxOCxLevi (main), BertholdtxAnnie (slight), and ErenxMikasa_

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><p><em><strong>***<strong>A/N: Hey guys. I never really said anything in these previous chapters. But one quick thing for you all. I have up to chapter 9 already written. I usually publish on my DeviantArt account first and then a few days later, they come on here. So, if you would like more recent chapters, go ahead and look me up at: **AllisonRenee1031 on DeviantArt**. Also, chapter 10 is in the process as of right now. Should be up soon on both here and DeviantArt.*******_

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><p><span>Chapter 7: Fall<span>

"Better be careful in not fainting again, shortie." Jean crossed his arms with a smirk. He stood with Marco on top of the Wall, like most of us did, and only snorted when I made my way over to Eren and Mikasa.

"Sure thing. Just promise me you won't flee at the first Titan you see, horse face!" I spat at him with the coldest glare. I was getting real tired of his shit lately and if he kept going on like this, there would be more than spit running down his shoulder...

Yesterday night, all of us recruits had a meeting with the elites. They had explained to us that once training was over, we would have to chose our paths from here. One of those paths would be the one I'm dying to fight for.

The Scouting Legion.

People call me crazy to join them, since they are the frontline against Titans and the risk of dying for them is significantly higher than the other two paths. Although, the Scouting Legion seems to be that type of path where you either have the willingness to fight or not.

I had my own reasons for joining the Scouting Legion, which most people knew about. Eren was similar to me with his reason and Mikasa wanted to protect Eren. Armin wanted to stay with his friends and prove his worthiness to them.

Therefore, all four of us are planning on going into the Scouting Legion after this.

"Amberleigh... do I want to know?" Eren sweat dropped as he and Mikasa gave me a questioning stare. They looked at me as if I was some crazy woman just awkwardly raising my leg up.

I raised my left leg behind me while having one hand pull at the top. My free hand was placed away from my body while I let myself leaned forward slightly. By doing so, my held up leg bend inward a little bit and ended up having my toes curl in, even with my brown boots on.

"I'm just stretching. God! Can't a girl get a break for stretching?" I grunted while switching my legs and returning to the bent posture.

To many people around me, I'm sure they all thought I was bizarre doing this. But the one thing people are truly amazed at is how flexible I am with my body. Along with my speed, flexibility is the last good ability I have in battles.

I guess flexibility and speed are necessary traits for this 3DMG. Well... not so much for just occasional swinging here and there. Now, when running frantically from a Titan, then you are practically dead if you aren't quick with your reflexes. That or you might twist the wrong way and end up pulling a muscle.

Regardless, flexibility and speed become important for anyone using the 3DMG.

"But is it really necessary to stretch on top of the Wall? Especially with guys either drooling over you or awkwardly turning their heads away from you?" Mikasa questioned while tightening the red scarf around her neck. Her dark gray eyes remained calm as they usually were.

I rolled my eyes at her question and flexed my leg back down to the ground. I did a quick crack on my knuckles and tightened my braid. "Eh... then that's their fault? I mean..." I gave a cold stare at a particular blonde watching me. "They don't need to be watching me. That's on them, isn't it?"

Mikasa shrugged at my response. She then turned to walk to Armin with Eren following her. I could hear Eren talking to both of them about how he is dead set on the Scouting Legion and vowing to kill all Titans. He even told them that if one came now, he wouldn't hesitate to kill it.

His vengeance was more universal and broad than what I had. I only wanted to join the Scouting Legion for two reasons and two reasons only. One is to avenge my fallen mother and prove that I will become just as good a soldier she was. The other is to eliminate the Armored Titan, the one who committed the murder of my mother.

"Yeah. Did you hear about that one Titan a year back? They say she looks like the Armored Titan from two years ago." My ears perked up as I caught onto a sudden conversation. Oddly enough, both Reiner and I turned our heads to the source, which happened to be Marco talking to his friend, Jean.

I made my way over to the two boys, hoping that it wasn't too rude. When I reached them, they looked up at me, almost instantly ending their conversation. _They must think I'm going to beat them up for no reason or they think I found their conversation offensive... _I thought with a sweat drop.

Thinking this was the case, I waved my hands in front of them while laughing; hoping I relieved the tension. "No, no. I'm not mad or anything. In fact, I'm kind of interested by your conversation and about this certain Titan. If you don't mind me being here, will you continue?"

Marco scratched his head nervously while Jean smirked with his typical cockiness. _I want to punch this asshole. _I swore inside my head while instinctively balling my hands into fists. _But if I do, then who knows if Marco will continue on... _

"Who invited you?" Jean cockily asked while crossing his arms. His height nearly towering over mine by a good few inches or so. Even by that small increment, it felt like he was a lot taller than what he appeared to be.

"Myself." I coldly responded while ignoring his future rants. I turned to face Marco this time and returned to my nice self. "You say there was a titan identical to the Armored Titan a year ago?" _Shit. If that's true, then that means my mission is a lot harder now! There are going to be two flipping Titans to kill now! God damn it!_

Marco nodded slowly, unsure of me at first. "Y-yeah. They said that she was found in exactly the same area where the Armored Titan was by Wall Maria. The Scouting Legion squad that was in charge of killing her said that she was roughly the same height. 15m..."

I looked over my shoulder and noticed Reiner hovering over me with his crazy height. I pouted and crossed my arms, hoping this was the last time I interrupted poor Marco. "Quit being a God damn weird ass and join our group. Heck! Let's make it fucking party now!" I hissed and watched as the laughing blonde stood beside me like a normal human being.

Once Reiner finally settled himself, Marco hesitatingly continued on where he left off. "So, they said that she was about a 15m class Titan. Her skin, they said, wasn't as tough and plated looking as the Armored Titan's but it did offer her some protection. Her skin color was a slight grayish tone and seemed to have pupil-less blue eyes. Her mouth looked like it was locked shut unless she decided to open it.

"Unlike the Armored Titan, she had a more slender build. Like the squad said, that Titan was meant for the flexibility and speed. She wasn't meant for powerful damage but they said she was quick enough to land repetitive hits to her opponents and leave an opening to kill them or at least leave a painful injury. Due to her speed, if she worked with other Titans, which the squad wondered about any accomplices, she would ultimately be the distracting one while the others landed the damage.

"The squad said that they had at least seven people in their group and, in which, only two survived against her. Before they could have killed her, they said she disappeared in a cloud of black smoke. But the leader of the squad said that she could reappear again soon, since she should have recovered her injuries than."

When Marco explained about the "Shadow" Titan, I couldn't help but feel rather uneasy. The way he said that only two escaped freely and how she disappeared for a year. Plus, the fact that she was identical to the Armored Titan and near where he was, I suddenly felt my stomach knot up.

"So, why didn't they just kill her then and there?" Reiner questioned curiously. He crossed his arms after he asked, as if truly interested about this mysterious Titan.

Marco shrugged. "Probably because they knew she wasn't your average Titan. She had the human intelligence and clearly, she knew she was being targeted..."

"So... she knew about the nape of her neck being a weakness. She must have known that and when she was being targetted, she protected it all costs." I explained as I cut off Marco, which earned me three bewildered stares. "Any Titan with that intelligence must know that their napes are a huge risk."

Jean laughed bombastically and pointed to me. "Ha. Wouldn't it be hilarious if you were that Titan? They did mention that the Shadow Titan had red hair..."

I lowered my blue eyes at him with irritation nipping at my face. "Then your ass would have been dead by now. You'd be my first victim."

Even though he was just jokingly stating that, I felt that shiver of uneasiness. My heart beat picked up slightly while the palm of my hands began to get sweaty. I felt like that type of person who feels insecure and cornered about some secret they had that was about to be exposed.

Jean awkwardly laughed his his index finger began to curl downwards. From my response, I gave him tramatizing visions and he only shuttered by the thought of being the first victim. He put his hands on his face, shaking slightly. "Ha... but you won't get me. I'll be in the Military Police..."

A sharp glint of light caught my blue eyes. A creepy smirk played at my lips while I flexed my fingers together. "That's okay. I'll just have Annie tell me where you are or better yet... I'll just FIND you... huehuehue..."

"GYAH! REINER, SHE'S BEING CREEPY AGAIN!" Jean cried out with actual tears forming at his eyes. His whole body, regardless of being taller than me, began to shake intensely at my unrealistic threat to him. Just the thought of me coming to find him as a Titan scared the shit out of him.

Reiner, out of the group of guys, seemed to be the least bit concerned. We were already several weeks into our training and since he was joining the Scouting Legion as well, he started to get used to my weird ways. He knew my personality pretty well, actually. That including my creepy side, fun side, pissed off side, protective side...

Okay... let's just say I have too many sides of me and he's pretty much used to them. Or at least, most of them...

As I thought about the Scouting Legion, I remembered that Bertholdt was the other one of the trio joining. I looked over my shoulder both left and right to see the shy Bert like usual. But no matter how many times I looked, I didn't see him.

_That's weird._ I questioned curiously, doing one more double take. _We were all supposed to be here. Did he ditch or something? _

"Hey, Reiner. Where's Bert at?" I asked as soon as I gave up looking for the tall brunette.

His golden eyes locked with mine and raised a brow. "Actually, I haven't seen him. Poor guy probably got sick or something. You know how he is; always nervous around people and such."

I scanned his face to see if he was perhaps lying to me. I knew how Reiner was sometimes when I asked him stuff but this time, he didn't seem to know for once. I let out a sigh and turned around to notice sudden yelling.

"W-..." My blue eyes widened as my hands were stretched out at my sides. My knees locked into a bending stance as fear claimed over me at the sight. "Oh... my... God... THAT'S a TITAN?! OH MY GOD! THAT MAKES THE ARMORED TITAN LOOK SMALL!" I gasped at the large face matching that of the Colossal Titan.

The Colossal Titan glared down at each and everyone of us while its head leaning over the Wall. His arm stretched out in front of him and loudly banged it against the surface, resulting in a loud bang and smoke.

Most of the recruits jumped away with their 3DMG pulling them to safety. Eren was quick to jump at the Titan, trying to take him on while Mikasa and Armin were standing on top of rooftop nearby; witnessing the horror.

There was a lot of yelling and smoke swirling all over the place. Even as Eren did his best to fight the Titan, it seems that it wasn't targetting Eren whatsoever. The Titan planned on taking out the cannons on top of the Wall.

"AMBERLEIGH! WHAT IN THE HELL ARE YOU DOING UP THERE STILL?!" Reiner's voice called out loudly from a rooftop next to the wall. Several other recruits such as Marco and Jean worriedly stared at the fear-struck me.

"I-...ahhhHHHH! Arm! Arm! LARGE FUCKING ARM!" I quickly snapped out of my daze as I saw the Colossal Titan's arm coming towards me. My blue eyes widened in fear as I tried to out run him while nervously fumbling with my 3DMG.

"YOU IDIOT! USE YOUR GOD DAMN GEAR TO SWING OVER HERE!" Reiner shouted angrily with a hint of worry. He gritted his teeth in frustration as I continued to fumble with the gear. "YOU'RE GONNA DIE IF YOU DON'T SWING OVER HERE!"

Slightly... no. Scratch that. SEVERELY pissed off with his yelling, I hissed at him while running. "I FUCKING KNOW THAT, REINER! CAN'T YOU SEE I'M BUSY TRYING NOT TO-...! SHIT!" I swore loudly as part of the Wall collapsed on my right side; swaying my footing and causing me to fall.

**To be continued... **


End file.
